Under 14 Match Report - Aquinas v Red Star

Blue ‘n’ Blacks Only Just Outshine Red Star

Red Star 0-2 Aquinas

This intriguing under 14 clash at a cold, crisp Knightsbridge was enjoyed by a bumper crowd, who were well rewarded for choosing to resist the lure of the shops on the last Saturday before Christmas.

That this was essentially an interclub match showcasing two fine Aquinas squads at one age group only serves to highlight the superb depth of talent at the club.

The Blue ‘n’ Blacks started the brighter of the two teams and broke through with an early nerve settler on 8 minutes. A well flighted Michael McGonigle free-kick found Philip O’Sullivan, whose defence splitting pass created space for Matt Carson to fire just beyond Conall Moran in the Red Star goal.

Far from being rattled though, Red Star stormed back and almost equalised within a couple of minutes. The marauding Joe O’Sullivan was only thwarted by excellent defending from Aquinas man of the match, Dan Rainey.

The game then settled into a pattern as Aquinas enjoyed the bulk of possession in a congested midfield but struggled to penetrate a resolute Red Star back four featuring Eoin Maguire, Conor Flynn, Gareth Hill and the outstanding Caelan Lynch.

Neither Kevin McGovern in the Aquinas goal nor Moran at the other end could complain about being overworked as defences held firm and attackers toiled for scraps on the hard, bumpy surface.

Konrad Stinson was tremendous throughout as he tackled, hassled and harried on Red Star’s left side but even he could do little about the goal that clinched the points for the Blue ‘n’ Blacks with 12 minutes remaining.

Dara Magill, breaking out from the back, initiated the best move of the day as he rode a couple of challenges and picked out Peter Morgan in the box. The mercurial winger jinked and fizzed a fine cross to the far post where James Guinness was on hand to smash a volley to the roof of the net for a goal worthy of settling any match.

This was a very sporting match played in the true Aquinas tradition of fair play and was very ably officiated by debutant referee, Chris Donnelly, who coped admirably with the pressure despite his two assistants!

Both teams then have many positives to reflect on as the dust settles on 2009. Red Star have emerged over the last 12 months as a genuine competitive force in the South Belfast Youth League and their colleagues in blue and black have completed a year which has seen them succumb to only a solitary league defeat in almost 30 games. Both have very good reason to be optimistic about 2010.

Red Star: Moran, Maguire, Flynn, Lynch, Hill, Lundy, McGarvey, McCourt, O’Hanlon, Stinson, O’Doherty, O’Boyle, Harkin, McAllister, O’Sullivan.

Aquinas: McGovern, O’Connor, Magill, McGonigle, Rainey, Carson, Mohan, O’Sullivan, McEvoy, McGranaghan, Guinness, Cunnane, Hughes, McAllister, Morgan.